Google Drive tricks and shortcuts

Store any file

You don't just have to store specific Google files on Drive. If you download the desktop app it will create a folder in which you can drag and drop any file you like. Want to transfer a bunch of Word files, mp3s or even a video from one computer to another, but you don't have a dongle to hand? No problem, just use Google Drive.

Share your Documents

Google Drive allows you to make your document public, private or available to a select few. Click the blue share button in the top right corner of your document and type the names of the individuals you'd like to share it with under "Share with others". If you want to create a public link, click the small chainlink icon in the top right corner.

Defend your Drive

Google has it's own two-step verification - in fact it was one of the earliest adopters of the system - and it's a breeze to use. While logged into your Google account, click your name in the top right corner then click Account > Security and under "Password" click the option to enable two-step verification before following the on-screen instructions.

Huge e-mail Attachments

You can use the power of the cloud to essentially bypass the 25MB limit that Google imposes on all Gmail accounts. After you have created both a Gmail and a Google Drive account (both are free), click the "Insert files using Drive" button at the bottom of your Gmail compose screen. Congratulations, you can now attach up to 10GB of data.

Know your shortcuts

You may not know it, but Google Drive comes with a whole list of incredibly useful shortcuts to help speed up and streamline your experience with the software. Simply type Ctrl+/ if you're on a PC or Cmd+/ if you're on a Mac in any area of Google Drive and a black screen will pop up, listing all of the helpful commands available.

Apps and Add-ons

If you're not using apps and add-ons, you're not getting the most out of Google's cloud service. Add-ons can be found in the top bar of any drive document you are editing and apps can be found on the Chrome webstore. These additional extras add extra functionality to Google Drive, including useful must-haves like track changes or PicMonkey, a free photo editor.